Champ or be champed.
Sydney Thunder youngster Ollie Davies learned that the hard way when he went out to bat during the BBL derby at the SCG on Saturday night.
Chasing the Sydney Sixers’ total of 187, the Thunder were in trouble early, losing two quick wickets as Matthew Gilkes and Blake Nikitaras departed cheaply.
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Davies walked out to join opener David Warner at the crease, but he was greeted with the word no cricketer wants to hear.
Warner said: “How are you champion?”, to which Davies immediately fired back, “Hey don’t champ me mate.”
“Don’t champ me mate,” Warner repeated, laughing at his teammate’s request.
The Australian Test opener then gave his incoming batting partner a few words of advice about the SCG pitch, which was proving difficult to bat on.
“When he dug it in the wicket, I thought I had all the time in the world and I just swung through it,” Warner explained.
“It’s just holding (in the pitch) a fraction mate, it probably ain’t going to cost you.
“Full face (of the bat). Go rock star.”
The hilarious exchange was picked up by the Fox Cricket mics and Warner’s lethal use of “champion” and “rock star” on his younger teammate didn’t go unnoticed by the commentators.
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Fox Cricket’s Mark Howard said: “Dropped a champion on him and he didn’t enjoy it!”
Mark Waugh added: “Champion and rock star. Couple of good combos early on for young Ollie Davies.”
As for the game itself, Davies was out soon after for two and Warner topscored for the Thunder with just 16 as they collapsed to be all our for 62, giving the Sixers a 125-run victory.
Earlier, Steve Smith smashed his second BBL century in a week to help the Sixers post an imposing total of 187.
Smith bludgeoned the Thunder’s bowlers to all parts of the SCG and brought up his hundred with a huge six.
He reached triple figures off 56 balls, finishing 125 not out (66 balls) in a sensational innings that featured nine sixes.
Smith and captain Moises Henriques (45 not out off 46 balls) combined for a 155-run partnership — the highest of the Sixers’ season.
Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket: “He’s just put an absolute clinic here tonight … some sort of display tonight.
“He’s turned into the Hulk tonight.”
“I’m speechless,” Moises Henriques said.
“That was incredible. Some of those shots, I was standing up the other end just gobsmacked.”
Remarkably, the explosive knock was Smith’s second Big Bash century in the space of a week, following his hundred in the Sixers’ win over the Adelaide Strikers in Coffs Harbour.
Before his return to the magenta, a male Sixers player had never made a century in the history of the Big Bash. Now they have two, both courtesy of Smith.
